Lightning strike kills one, injures several others in Forest Lakes

By KTAR.com | June 28, 2015 at 2:00 pmUPDATED: June 28, 2015 at 2:07 pm

Forest Lakes, AZ — A lightning strike in the Mogollon Rim has killed a 24-year-old female and injured seven others on Saturday afternoon. The group was under a ponderosa pine tree for shelter during a thunderstorm.

Initial reports are that the lightning struck the tree and knocked most of the group to the ground.

According to a press release from the Coconino County Sheriff’s office, a 911 call came in around 4:20 p.m. to report that several people had been injured by a lighting strike.

Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies and various other officers responded to the call.

The response took a considerable amount of time to reach the victims because of the remote location of the incident.

The hiking group is believed to have come from the Phoenix area on Friday evening to come to Mogollon Rim to hike and camp. The group was on their hiking trip when the thunderstorm hit.

The investigation is being continued by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Forest Service.